Key independent MP
Tony Windsor
has signalled he may vote for Labor laws that tighten the rules on the 457 visa program for temporary skilled ­workers, but he will try to amend them to ease the regulatory burden the changes impose on business.

Labor was forced to delay a lower house vote on its changes to the program last week as it had not yet secured the support of the cross bench for the changes, including mandatory labour market testing and more inspectors to police rorts, which business has warned will force up costs.

The bill, one of up to 52 pieces of legislation Labor will try to pass in the final week of parliament, is scheduled to be debated and then voted on on Monday.

Mr Windsor told The Australian Financial Review on Sunday he had not made a decision but hinted he could support the bill in an amended form.

The crossbench MP said he believed Australians, particularly in regional areas, should be given first bite at jobs and that he had heard stories in his regional seat of New England about locals being laid off while 457 visa ­holders kept their jobs.

“It may well be modified, there may be no bill, it will probably not be the bill that is sitting there now [that passes], though bear in mind I’m only one vote.’’

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On Sunday, Mr O’Connor told the ABC’s Insiders program he believed Mr Windsor was willing to consider passing the laws. “It’s about ensuring that we respond to legitimate shortages in sectors and industries across the country using the 457 scheme, which by the way is a vital scheme, but we don’t allow for the misuse,’’ Mr ­O’Connor said.

“I think a simple way of testing that, is making sure that employers look locally first, and I think Tony would be open to that."

Mr Windsor’s vote is key because although Greens MP
Adam Bandt
and independents
Craig Thomson
,
Andrew Wilkie
and
Bob Katter
have signalled their support for the changes, another independent,
Rob Oakeshott
, opposes it and fellow crossbencher
Peter ­Slipper
is also believed to oppose it.

Other key legislation the government must pass in the Senate this week includes Fair Work Act amendments, the Australian Education bill to enable the Gonski reforms and local ­government referendum legislation.